Box Score Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Brown women's ice hockey team (6-17-1, 5-14-0 ECAC) grabbed a crucial league victory at Meehan Auditorium, defeating the Rensselaer Engineers (10-18-4, 8-10-2 ECAC) and completing the weekend sweep after earning a 2-1 win over Union on Friday night.

This is the first time in over four years the Bears have earned a weekend sweep, as the last time that the squad earned four points in one weekend was when they beat Quinnipiac, 3-0, and Princeton, 2-1 on January 30 and 31, 2009.

The teams battled back and forth initially, with neither generating much offense until Rensselaer took its first penalty of the game with 14:37 left to play. Brown created several prime opportunities that went just wide of the net. The Engineers survived the two-minute disadvantage, but the Bears carried their momentum into full–strength play, scoring their first goal at 8:57 of the first.

Junior Samantha Woodward put Brown on the board when the puck popped out to the blue line where she was stationed. She took a one-time slap shot that deflected off of a Rensselaer skater and into the low corner of the net on the blocker side. Senior co-captain Alena Polenska assisted on the goal, Woodward's first of the season.

The Engineers, who will be the seventh seed in the league playoffs in two weeks, stepped up their intensity in response, outshooting the Bears, 12-6, in the period, but junior goaltender Aubree Moore was strong between the pipes, preserving Brown's lead through a Rensselaer power play.

With just 1:45 left to play in the first, the Bears increased their advantage on Polenska's eighth goal of the season. In the midst of chaos around the net, junior Vanessa Welten sent a pass up to freshman Ariana Rucker in the slot who took a low wrist shot on goal. Polenska got her stick on it, tipping it into the net to put Brown up, 2-0, at the end of the first period.

After killing off a Rensselaer power play at the beginning of the second stanza, Brown increased its advantage, earning a 3-0 lead on a goal from sophomore Lauren Vella. A scuffle in front of the net sent the puck up to Vella who was crashing the slot, and she took a high wrist shot that popped over the traffic and landed directly in the back of the net. Junior Jessica Hoyle was credited with the assist.

Rensselaer rallied however, scoring its first goal of the night less than two minutes later. With Brown struggling to clear the puck out of its zone, Moore batted away a shot by Nona Letuligasenoa, but Toni Sanders, who was coming hard to the net, picked up the rebound and took a quick wrist shot for her fifth goal of the season.

With just under ten minutes to play in the period, a penalty on sophomore Kaitlyn Keon gave the Engineers a player advantage, and it didn't take long for them to capitalize, as Sanders scored her second of the afternoon to bring the visitors within one. With Brown unable to clear during Rensselaer's power play, the puck popped out to Sanders in the middle, and her one-time slap shot hit the post and bounced past Moore. Alexa Gruschow and Madison Marzario assisted on the goal.

The Engineers outshot the Bears, 16-8, in the second, but Moore's 14 saves preserved Brown's 3-2 lead as the squads headed into the final 20 minutes of action.

After killing off a penalty to start the final stanza, Brown earned three different power plays over the course of 20 minutes, using the advantage to overcome continued offensive pressure from Rensselaer. With just 3:39 left in the game, junior Jennifer Nedow scored her second power play goal in as many games to give the Bears a two point cushion as the clock wound down.

Play began with Brown dominating the zone, playing with patience and intensity through the man advantage. Vella, possessing the puck on the point, passed it down to Polenska. She sent it over to Nedow who was waiting in front to one-time a shot off of the post and into the net.

As the clock wound down, a penalty on senior co-captain Laurie Jolin and the decision to play without a goalie gave the Engineers a two-player advantage with 1:13 left, but it was the Bears who would capitalize in the last minute, as Hoyle scored an empty-net goal to secure the 5-2 win for Brown.

Moore was incredible in net for the Bears, making 30 saves, while Polenska proved her mettle as Brown's leading scorer, notching a career-high four points. The Engineers had the advantage in shots, 32-25, while each team earned a power play goal, with Brown going 1-for-4 and Rensselaer 1-for-5.